Capital Pride Parade draws thousands of people to downtown Ottawa

Thousands attend Capital Pride Parade Capital Pride reported a record setting Pride Parade to wrap up a week of festivities. CTV’s Natalie van Rooy reports.

The streets of downtown Ottawa were filled with rainbow colours, songs and celebrations on a sunny Sunday afternoon, for the annual Capital Pride Parade.

Approximately 10,000 people marched in the parade along Elgin Street, Gladstone Avenue and Kent Street, with thousands more lining the parade route for the signature event of the 2023 Capital Pride festival.

"This is actually my first Pride. I'm really excited to be here," said one person participating in the parade.

More than 200 groups and floats participated in the parade, which was led by students and staff from the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board carrying the giant Pride Flag.

"One of my children is non-binary, so it's super important to me," Heather Gardner said.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe joined city of Ottawa staff for the Pride Parade.

"Love knows no boundaries. Happy Pride, everyone," Sutcliffe said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Participants and spectators said it was important to attend the Capital Pride Parade this year to show solidarity in the face of the rise of anti-trans hate across Canada.

"It is amazing to see our community come together in celebration and solidarity," Fae Johnstone, the Pride Parade Grand Marshal, said Sunday afternoon.

"We need to be proud of ourselves. We also need to make a world where we can all be proud…without the homophobia and transphobia that surrounds us."

Dozens of students and staff with Ottawa's French public school board participated in the parade.

"With just two days to go back to school, the CEPEO is proud to have celebrated diversity and inclusion with the Ottawa community as part of the Capital Pride Parade," the Conseil des ecoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario said on social media.

"Equity and inclusion are at the heart of the CEPEO's mission."

The theme for this year's event is "Get Proud," with Capital Pride saying, "Our theme is a call to celebrate together even more loudly and proudly."

"I think it's the most entertaining…people here together to celebrate what we have been fighting for," Samnang Tep said. "It's been challenging for me being a gay Asian person; it's just been a challenge. I think just going out and being who I am and just showcasing myself out of the box."

The Capital Pride Parade was held the same weekend a Barrhaven woman posted video on social media, saying a car drove up onto her lawn at approximately 4 p.m. Saturday and ran over a Pride sign.

The woman, who asked not to be named, told CTV News Ottawa her husband ordered multiple signs because they expected something would happen to it.

Funding for Ottawa 2SLGBTQI+ communities

The federal government announced up to $1.9 million in funding for seven 2SLGBTQI+ organizations in the Ottawa area.

Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth Marci Ien and Ottawa Vanier MP Mona Fortier announced the funding one year after the federal government launched its federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan.

"This support for 2SLGBTQI+ communities in the Ottawa region is a tangible achievement of the Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan," Fortier said.

"These community organizations play a key role in amplifying marginalized voices and provide safe spaces. By working directly with local communities, they can create systemic change. Our government will always support 2SLGBTQI+ communities and organizations that are striving to make things better and build a more inclusive Canada."

OC Transpo

OC Transpo says it will maintain regular transit service this weekend.

Routes 6, 7 and 11 will be detoured between Slater Street and Gladstone Avenue all day.

Routes 5, 6, 7, 11 and 14 will be detoured for the duration of the Capital Pride Parade from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. All trips affected by road closures during the parade will be detoured via adjacent streets, according to the city.

Ottawa police

Ottawa police say there will be an increased police presence during Capital Pride events this weekend.

"The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) Special Events Section, along with our city partners have worked with Pride organizing committee throughout the planning phase of the Parade," police said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.

"OPS has developed a plan with police resources to ensure safe and fun Pride activities associated with the event all weekend."

Police say there will be an integrated command team set up for the Pride Parade.

"OPS will have officers engaged along the route to ensure Pride participants feel safe and that Ottawa residents feel secure that their community is being protected," police said.

"OPS has officers of all ranks that have signed up to ensure a successful Pride parade."